English-only tests: Florida is asking the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver from giving statewide assessments tests in any language other than English. The Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to make every effort to test students in their first language. About 12 percent of all K-12 students in[Read More…]
Tag: Erik Fresen
Florida schools roundup: Contact limits, hiring incentives, opting out and more
Football contact: The Florida High School Athletic Association is adopting guidelines to limit contact in high school football practices to 30 minutes a day during the season, and just 80 minutes a week, in an attempt to reduce the risk of injuries. During the preseason, contact would be limited to 40[Read More…]
Charter schools, the facilities funding boogeyman?
As we noted last week, Florida’s perennial debate over charter school facilities funding is plagued by distortions that, even when debunked, don’t seem to go away. State Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, went after some of them this week in a Miami Herald guest column. Fresen chairs the committee that writes the[Read More…]
Florida House advances plan for statewide charter school authorizer
Florida lawmakers are looking to amend the state’s constitution to create a new, statewide body to oversee charter schools. The proposal cleared a state House panel this morning, and would need to be approved by voters if passed by the full Legislature. State lawmakers have previously tried to create statewide boards with[Read More…]
School choice is about more than just scores
There were some interesting exchanges when state Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami, stopped by the Broward County School Board this week (see the video here). One dealt with the role of charter schools in Florida’s education system, and why parents might choose them even when their children already go to an A-rated school.[Read More…]
Florida lawmakers may revive efforts to stop unqualified charter schools
Bills aimed at helping Florida school districts screen people who apply to open charter schools didn’t survive this year’s legislative session, but those efforts may be revived. During a visit this week with the Broward County School Board (hat tip to the Sun-Sentinel), state Rep. Erik Fresen, R-Miami said elements of this year’s plan[Read More…]
Florida schools roundup: Testing, rankings, failure factories and more
Testing. The cyberattack on state testing systems remains under investigation. Associated Press. Florida’s ACT scores rise but still trail the rest of the country. School Zone. Mother Jones profiles an Orlando teen who opted out of state testing. Charter schools. State Rep. Erik Fresen talks reform with the Broward County School Board.[Read More…]
Lawmakers looking at nexus between high school sports and choice
Florida’s system for regulating high school sports has become a perennial issue in the state Legislature. This year some key lawmakers are looking at it from a new angle: Is the organization that governs high school athletics in the state prepared for a system in which students increasingly choose magnet programs, career academies, charters and other options[Read More…]